David Copperfield (1999)

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Movie
German title David Copperfield
Original title David Copperfield
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 1999
length 180 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Simon Curtis
script Adrian Hodges
production Kate Harwood
music Robert Lane
camera Andy Collins
cut Philip Kloss
occupation

David Copperfield is a two-part television film on the BBC and a film adaptation of the classic book of the same name by Charles Dickens . The film premiered at Christmas 1999 and stands out for its large list of all-star British cast.

action

Three months after the death of his father of the same name, little David Copperfield was born in rural England in the 19th century. Shortly before he was born, Betsey Trotwood, his young mother's aunt, arrived at the family country estate, who wants a girl and makes all sorts of rules for her heavily pregnant niece. However, when it turns out that the desired great niece has become a great nephew, Betsey is so outraged that the next moment she leaves the property insulted. For the first eight years of life, young David grew up under the loving care of his mother Clara and the housekeeper Pegotty. One day, however, Clara meets the handsome Edward Murdstone, with whom she starts a relationship. But David doesn't like this unpleasant man from the first moment. One day, Pegotty takes David on a trip to Yarmouth , where she visits her brother Dan and David meets the pretty Emily of the same age. Upon their return, however, they are shocked to find that Clara has decided to marry Murdstone. Shortly after he moved in, he brought his sister Jane Murdstone to the property. This turns out to be just as bad as her brother, and so begins a time of oppression and harassment in his own home for David. His mother is powerless against the Murdstones and is gradually isolated from her son. When David one day also has learning difficulties with the extremely complicated school material, the situation escalates and he is brutally beaten by his stepfather. Shortly afterwards, he is taken away from home as a punishment and taken to the Salem School near London. But even there, David is treated badly by the overstrict headmaster Mr. Creakle and the other students. The only one who is friendly to him is the older James Steerforth, with whom David befriends.

When David comes home for the first time for the holidays, he learns that his mother already has another son from Edward Murdstone. Soon afterwards he received the news in the unloved school that his mother and his little brother had died unexpectedly, which was not least due to their mental state due to the terror of the Murdstones. This makes things worse for David: Pegotty is fired and Murdstone, who now has full control over the boy, sends him to his factory in London. There David has to do hard, slave-like work and is placed with Mr. Micawber, a friend of Murdstone's. Although he is very friendly to David, he is arrested and locked up shortly afterwards. As a result, his family is forced to move and can not keep David with them. The now completely desperate David can now only turn to his only known relative, his great-aunt Betsey Trotwood. He begins a long, arduous march to Dover , where he can track her down and she asks to take him in. She is skeptical at first, but then agrees, which means that she really comes to love the boy over time. But soon afterwards David's hated stepparents, the Murdstones, appear in his aunt's house to bring him back to him. However, he is protected by Betsey, who gives the Murdstones their opinion and drives them away again.

Betsey now gives David the name Trotwood Copperfield and raises him himself. She sends him to a school in Canterbury , where the boy meets Agnes, the daughter of his friend, Mr. Wickfield. The two grow up as close friends. After graduating from school, David began a career as a clerk and through this came into contact with the lawyer Mr. Spenlow. He is carried away by his daughter Dora at first sight and falls in love with her. Shortly afterwards he meets all of his old friends again: Steerforth, Pegotty and the Micawbers; and is faced with a number of different situations, such as the financial ruin of his Aunt Betsey and the problematic relationship of his friend Steerforths with his childhood friend Emily Pegotty.

Finally he marries his lover Dora, who dies after a few years. Thereupon the frustrated David begins as a writer to write his own life story in books and actually brings it to some success. In addition, during his journey of several years, it becomes clear to him that the only woman for him was Agnes from the beginning and is now marrying her. The two have two sons and, at the end of the story, also a girl whom David names Betsey in honor of his aunt. Thus, Betsey Trotwood's wish for a niece of the same name has recently been fulfilled too late.

Reviews

The Lexicon of International Films writes: "Very dignified (television) film adaptation of the autobiographically colored Charles Dickens classic as eye-catching entertainment with British stars."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Copperfield (1999, Curtis) . ( filmdienst.de [accessed on April 29, 2018]).